The hospital is nationally recognized for commitment to high quality stroke care and proven dedication to ensuring all stroke patients have access to best practices and life-saving treatment
St. Francis Medical Center has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award for its commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately leading to more lives saved and reduced disability.
Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or ruptures. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs, so brain cells die. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and accelerating recovery times.
Get With The Guidelines® puts the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest research- and evidence-based guidelines. Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke is an in-hospital program for improving stroke care by promoting consistent adherence to these guidelines, which can minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and even prevent death.
“St. Francis Medical Center is committed to improving patient care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines,” said Anantjit Singh, MD, St. Francis Medical Center Chief Medical Officer. “Get With The Guidelines makes it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis, which studies show can help patients recover better. The end goal is to ensure more people in South Los Angeles County can experience longer, healthier lives.”
Each year, program participants qualify for the award by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality care for stroke patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, Get With The Guidelines® participants also educate patients to help them manage their health and recovery at home.
“We are incredibly pleased to recognize St. Francis Medical Center for its commitment to caring for patients with stroke,” said Steven Messe, MD, Volunteer Chair of the American Heart Association Stroke System of Care Advisory Group. “Participation in Get With The Guidelines is associated with improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates — a win for healthcare systems, families and communities.”
St. Francis also received the American Heart Association’s Target: StrokeSM Honor Roll Elite Plus award, Target: StrokeSM Honor Roll Advanced Therapy award, and Target: Type 2 Diabetes™ Honor Roll award. The hospital attained these recognitions for, respectively, meeting specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with thrombolytic therapy; achieving objectives that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment to remove the clot causing the stroke; and having processes in place to help ensure patients with Type 2 diabetes, who might be at higher risk for complications, receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized due to stroke.
St. Francis CEO Clay Farell said, “These awards recognize the collaboration and expertise of our multidisciplinary stroke team. They also underscore our commitment to providing our community with access to nationally recognized stroke care that promotes better outcomes and improved quality of life for patients and families.”
